The present invention relates to a crash cushion, and in particular to a crash cushion having one or more deflector skins adapted to redirect a laterally impacting vehicle, and methods for the use thereof.
Roadways are often configured or lined with protective crash barriers that protect drivers from various rigid objects, such as bridge abutments, guardrails and other obstructions. Likewise, slow moving vehicles, such as trucks, can be outfitted with truck-mounted attenuators to attenuate the impact of vehicle striking them from the rear. In various configurations, highway crash barriers and truck-mounted attenuators can be constructed of an array of compressible, resilient, energy-absorbing cylinders positioned in front of or alongside the rigid object. In operation, and in particular during an axial impact, the cylinders are compressed and absorb the energy of the impacting vehicle, thereby decelerating the vehicle in a controlled manner. However, during a lateral impact, the vehicle may tend to snag or pocket one or more of the cylinders at gaps formed between the outer curved surfaces of adjacent cylinders.
To combat this problem, crash barriers have been provided with one or more cables strung alongside the crash barrier between the barrier and the roadway, as shown for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,011,326 and 5,403,112 to Carney III. The cables span the gaps between adjacent cylinders and assist in redirecting the errant vehicle back onto the roadway.
Another solution to avoid pocketing of the vehicle in the array of cylinders is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,845,936 to Boedecker. In particular, a series of sheet-like fish scales are positioned between the cylinders and the roadway. The fish scales are attached to selected ones of the cylinders. The fish scales are relatively expensive structurally rigid plates that are attached to the cylinders in a relatively complex manner.